It’s no secret that I am really into skincare. I always say “I would rather put the time/money into a good skin care routine than mask problematic skin underneath a ton makeup” When the opportunity presented itself for me to enjoy/review a Hydra Hyaluronic acid shower at Chaelis Clinic in Northampton, my joy knew no bounds! About the clinic Run and owned by the wonderful Lesley Spencer who’s plethora of accolades and degree decorates the reception area. Chaelis prides itself on offering the highest standard of treatment available in skin

Let me tell you about the perfect love affair, the one I currently have with this pink dress. Half drunkenly walking past a street I have walked past several times before in Clapham, I noticed a new shop had opened. Curious I pressed my nose against the window pane and discovered it was a vintage store with a sign on the door reading pop up. I made a mental note to return in the morning and explore the treasure that laid waiting. One of the little pleasures that still exists

About the hotel The Green House is simply a beautifully restored, 32-room Grade II Victorian villa in the heart of Bournemouth. Perfectly nestled between Dorset’s finest blue-flag golden beaches and the ancient mysteries of the New Forest. Sustainability forms the core of the hotel’s ethos so much so that they have been recognised as one of the top “eco-hotels” not just in the UK… but in the world. After undergoing a recent 18-month refurbishment the accolades and awards have been rolling in since it reopened. Rated 4star, this hotel is

Winter is around the corner and we are ready! Well at least that’s what I like to think, knowing fully well nothing ever prepares you when winter finally arrives I am focusing on my favourite pair of over the knee boots and an autumn style you can recreate. Top Tip Wearing only two colours at anyone time, is one of the top rules on creating an instantly chic fashionable look. The olive green skirt is from Asos and the ribbed long sleeve slashed bodysuit from Missguided. Bucket bag is an

Looking for ways to spice up your little black dress? The fashionable answer lies in your choice of footwear! A contrast in colour with a play on texture with your shoes will automatically elevate your “lbd” and help you stand out for all the right reasons. I have applied the rules above by styling a sheer silk little black dress with a pair of gorgeous oxblood velvet caged heels from Style Maven. This pair is from their AW17 fall collection in style called “Precillia” The rest of their fall collection

Men’s fashion has always deeply fascinated me. A man doesn’t ever look good by chance, it is usually down to the perfect equation of fit+ cut+ confidence. I always wanted to do a style collaboration with a male blogger that not only had style, but with someone whose work I genuinely love. It was a lot of fun and a massive pleasure to have had the idea I had for this shoot brought to life by one of the best. Within the blogosphere, there are a number of incredibly fashionable

Hey darlings, there are some exciting style posts to share with you soon, I recently collaborated with one of my favourite male bloggers and it was a remarkable experience. That post should be up on the blog by next week. Todays look is somewhat cheap and cheerful particularly as my top available right now in the sale for only £5:99! Looking good should never break the bank! Wearing a classic pencil leather skirt, a with a ruffled one shoulder top which is a recent purchase from Zara and a pair

Today’s post is reflection of how a dress can genuinely make a difference to how you feel! It all started with ‘fashionable goosebumps’ I had when I tried it on! It was the beginning of the greatest love story yet untold! 50s style ✔️lots of tulle✔️a flared midi skirt✔️ a gorgeous sweet heart neckline✔️no “style blogger” that I follow has worn this piece✔️ It was a day of many fashion ticks for me! Naturally I was twirling non stop during my shoot, not only because this dress was obviously made

The best things in life don’t cost a fortune. Same rules applies to clothes. Your bed dresses shouldn’t cost an arm and a leg. I decided to venture outside my usual parameters when I purchased this dress, I have nothing with such bold prints in my wardrobe. When I tried this on, I knew it was a keeper. It compliments my undertone and is completely spot on for summer. Oh did I mention it’s a 100% silk! There is something about a yellow floral dress particularly in the summer that

“Style is not something purchased, it is what you create through items purchased” quote by outofbarbarasbox This Victorian collared neck ballooned sleeved top is exactly one that ticks the important shopping box. Endless styling versatility. I switch up the looks to show how easy it is to get multiple wears out of one piece of clothing whilst earning major style points. 1st look: Uptown girl about town Second look: Corporate chic with a twist Third look: Girl next door with a passion for fashion This look was photographed in the autumn.

I am a sucker for a good classic however with all good classics, there is room to put a modern spin on it. And the same can be said for how I styled this look In 1960s, hippies first came up with the idea of recycling old denim jeans into long denim skirts, by opening the inseams and inserting pieces of triangular denim. Brief history Denim skirts were first introduced in mainstream fashion lines in the 1970s. In 1983, denim miniskirts—with a pencil skirt silhouette—became a popular teenage fashion. They

You know what they say, “If the cap fits, wear it” My saying goes thus, “If you find a hat that you slay so hard in, never stop wearing it” I have a profound love for hats and undoubtedly a boaters hat, is my favourite. Brief History Boater hats were originally designed to be worn by men it became popular as a formal summer hat in the latter part of the 19th century. It ended up being widely adopted as a semi-formal hat with school uniforms and also as an unofficial part of

Hey everyone, today’s blog is a collaboration with a brand called Madkollection. It is made in Manchester brand however the fabric is used, is Nigerian material popularly known as Ankara. Ankara was originally manufactured by the Dutch for the Indonesian textile market however it ganared more signicance with the Nigerian market. So production was focused on West Africa. What Madkollection do well, is that they take gorgeous ankara fabric with gorgeous prints and turn it into pieces that anyone and everyone can wear. This peplum top I am wearing is

Hi darlings, it’s been a moment! I haven’t been away, in fact it is quite the contrary, I have simply been sooooooo busy. Life has been incredibly busy over the last few months, in between trying to consistently slay the gram, be a dutiful friend, a lover to “bea” and an amazing sister to my family. This has in turn left little room for the other love in my life which is this blog. I have set myself a new goal/challenge to get consistent with the frequency of my posts.

Hey lovelies, so the sun has been shining in London and I must say it feels sooooo good. I marvel at how the weather has such great impact on our mood. It is no secret that Londoners are one of the grumpiest people in the world. You will be sat in a carriage packed full and everyone does their utmost to avoid eye contact. You’ll be breaking the public transport social code if you said good morning or hello to the person sat next to you. However with the slightest hint

“Hi I am Barbara, I am style chameleon and a Zara addict”. What this means is I love to wear different looks. Be it a nod to street style look, ultra feminine styles or something in between grunge and rock chic and 70% of my wardrobe is from Zara. I saw this skirt in the Zara sale and knew immediately the styling possibilities would be endless. It was a piece I could envisage myself wearing thoroughly in the spring and transition into my summer wardrobe. The salmon colour looked extremely flattering against my

Fishnets are a massive trend right now and I couldn’t resist trying my hands on this trend but of course with the added sprinkle of “Barbara”. It was going to be classic fishnet (classic because of the size of the holes) styled with a few special bits to create the extra oomph that I love my outfits to have. First look was styled with wet look skinny jeans gave it that biker edgy feel paired with my classic black courts. So there I was happily minding my own business and scouting

There she was, staring out into the streets as the rain slowly trickled down against the window. There was a mellow tip tap as the rain hit the glass and the wind whistled gently. It was a cold winter evening on February the 13th to be precise. The same happy ending she had played out over and over till it felt almost as real as the raindrops against the window pane, the fantasy which she would retell paints the picture of a day with the perfect ending. The day always began in

Happy New Year beautiful people, thank you all for carrying on this beautiful stylish journey with me. Perhaps you have set yourself resolutions to guide your year or simply will go as the days present itself, I hope this year is exceptionally good to you and brings a lot of things checked off your important to do list. Today’s style post is me sharing in the simplest way how I add a pop of colour to a seemingly basic outfit. The coat I am wearing adds that extra jenesaisquoi to

There she was propped up on in a bar, sat alone a whiskey glass carefully placed in front of her, jazz music floating in the air. Decadently she picked up the glass allowing the aroma of oak and vanilla to carefully caress her senses. To anyone she looked like a lady of the night, mystery surrounded her and had a tale or two to tell. She had a sense of elegance about her but a knowing of how the world works. She was a lady who had seen it all

This Christmas has me feeling nostalgic, I remember Christmases that were far more anticipated. Christmas as a child was incredibly special because you got to pick a special dress that you would wear on Christmas Day, even the meat you ate was rared a month in advance, it fell on the shoulders of the oldest child to make sure that the chicken or goat was fed, you had to ensure the animal was well looked after in the lead up to Christmas meal. There would be fireworks for the entire

In my last post, I shared the first of four winter look book, click here in case you missed the first one. In today’s post, I style the same knit dress but have swapped a few accessories and my coat for a more casual relaxed look. I live in Richmond which has a massive park and lots of cafes and plenty of “cool spots”. This outfit will be the perfect attire for walking in the park, sitting in a cafe drinking an overpriced artisan coffee, lunch date with friends on a

Hi lovelies, am I the only that seem to have blinked and then realised it is almost the end of year?. With less than 26days left, it certainly has me reflecting on what this year has meant to me. I look back with a lot of gratitude and feel incredibly blessed for every single moment. I reflect on what’s been the most adventurous year of my life, the year that very special friendships was made and the year where so much came together beautifully. With every month, I sought and found

Most people usually have a ton of photos, tag their outfits and job done with their style blog post however as I am not like most people, I always jump at an opportunity to use this platform to horn my writing skills, share the things I am genuinely excited and passionate about and hope the person reading it takes something valuable away or are naturally able to get an insight into my world. Happy reading x I was born in Nigeria, grew up in what’s considered a small African family with 5

I have returned from what is unarguably one of the best trips of my life to date. In this post I will be sharing my favorite bits, places I visited and providing recommendations based on my experience. Expect plenty of food porn & beach porn. Food Thai cooking places emphasis on lightly prepared dishes with strong aromatic components and a spicy edge. It is known for its complex interplay of at least three and up to four or five fundamental taste senses in each dish or the overall meal: sour, sweet,

Time to go on holiday, you know you’ve booked hand luggage only as you are trying to save those coins. But you still want to slay as you were born with game. So how do you maximise your wardrobe potential whilst still falling in line with EasyJet’s anal one bag only hand luggage policy. Number 1: Do your research and plan accordingly My recent holiday was to Venice , I knew beforehand that it is a city paved with lots of cobbled stoned streets, there is really no point packing

“Jobs fill your pockets, adventure fills your soul”. A quote from one of my favourite bloggers Emma Hill. Documented on today’s blog is my recent trip to Venice. If you are like me, I can almost live through other people’s travel photos and feel a part of that moment. It was difficult to narrow it down to a few good ones, however I hope these give you a good sense of how beautiful this ancient Italian city is and inspires you to live your own Venetian adventure. Floating City The

I live by the motto serious in front and party at the back. In fashion terms, I could quite easily live forever happily backless. Give me a backless number any day and I will happily slay it There are so many pieces in the market that focuses on baring your back. Not only is this incredibly chic, it is a look that is forgiving regardless of what time of the day it is. Nobody wears a cleavage bearing outfit before 7pm, well some ladies do, but am sure majority will agree

When I first started blogging, this metallic pleated leather skirt was one of the first looks I posted click here to read. A lot has changed since that day, but one thing I have learnt is the endless possibilities that one piece of clothing can offer. I had a afternoon date day planned with the gorgeous, Luna of swaggaismything.com and Keyma of styleweekender.com the dreaded curse of a wardrobe full of clothes and nothing to wear almost settled in. Couple of outrageous and down right riddic options later, it was time to go

Her flaws was laid bare for all to see They jeered and snickered She kept her fluidity mimicking the gentle tumble of the sea They kept watching keenly to see her flutter She mustered her strength mimicking the gait of the mountains They pushed and taunted to see her quaver She kept her fire mimicking the flicker of flames They tried one more time to see her wobble She didn’t tumble but kept her stride mimicking the stride of the cheetah Eventually she saw that she didn’t need to imitate;

Picnics are the perfect social setting to unleash your inner lady, it also presents a great opportunity to brandish that full pleated skirt/dress that has been hung up in your wardrobe and not seen any summer love. Listed below is my 7 rules on picnicking Rule 1: If you must wear heels, I will recommend either a pair of wedges or a pair of shoes with a block heel, not only are they more practical for maneuvering the grass, one doesn’t want to look clunky whilst walking as your heels seemingly

A successful birthday trip to Malta last year allowed me to have a new attitude on how I should observe my birthday. My 27th birthday was looming and it was time to seek out a destination in a bid to mollycoddle myself a bit more than usual. Quick geography lesson: Chania is the second largest city of Crete. Crete is Greece’s largest island. I did a quick Google image perusing, once the suggestion was made to ensure it ticked my boxes of requirement for a truly indulgent adventure this helped to turn any

Spending the day with my blogger friend Luna meant in the natural scheme of things the day turned into a spontaneous photo shoot Lobster lunch at Big Easy with margaritas ensured we were fuelled for our Chelsea strutting I have realised over time, that my style is all about being chic with an extra edge, my Zara off shoulder top with a white contrast shirt underneath paired with thigh high boots and my Zara chunky chain city bag tied the whole look together effortlessly. Zara flower studded chocker gave

Sitting at my office desk, a mail notification popped up on my screen, I had been sent a link for a Eurostar deal for a £29 one way ticket. It was a no-brainer as to which destination I was going to book, seeing as I had only recently travelled to Paris. There was only one advice bestowed unto me by friends, and it was a day in Bruges was an absolute must! Bags lightly packed, passport and tickets safely tucked away, I was ready to explore. Bruges Medieval town Northwest

The New Year is fast running ahead of itself with the second month of the year already upon us. One thing for certain is that setting resolutions is a pivotal part of how we start the year. In 2016, my resolution was simple and somewhat realistic – to be more and to see more… A friend asked during a conversation what I was going to be more of? my playful response was “to be more fabulous!” 1.To be more patient (a real test of my level of patience, is when I am

Ever heard the phrase of having a heart to heart? Today we are going to have a little heart to heart. (Plenty of pun intended with the title) yes I know I’m a literal genius + it’s a “fashion blog” after all not Oprah or Jeremy Kyle! 😂 More often than none, things will test you, make you ponder on the science behind how the human mind works. Eventually you will only be able to utter words such as WTF. I always say, “we alone are to blame if we

Hey darlings, so recently life has been its usual fascinating self. I have been through the works in the most recent months. Moments of doubt, lots of “wtf”moments and it’s just been down right poo. However the dark clouds have lifted and the rainbow has finally appeared. Without going into too much detail, I failed to follow my instincts on a decision I made and it cost me a few months of unrest. This post is a celebration of overcoming challenges and rising above difficulties by tackling it head on.